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A variety of commercial where the product, a {{Mascot}} or the product as a {{Mascot}} is presented as a superhero, fighting against or protecting you from something.

This can be played straight, where the product really is a superhero, in the context of the ad, or silly, where the product is acting like a superhero, but probably isn't.

Expect to see the product in question flying around with a cape billowing behind it, and [[SuperheroesWearTights a classic tights and underwear]] on the outside combo. In the case of dental hygiene products, you will likely see microscopic toothpaste superheroes fighting gingivitis inside a person's mouth. [[FridgeHorror Of course, the question arises as to what happens to this miniature people]] when you spit the toothpaste out. ----!!Examples:* UFO Kamen Yakisoban, a {{tokusatsu}} hero who starred in commercials for Nissin's "UFO" brand instant yakisoba, and fought against the evil "Kettler." He had his own BeatEmUp game for the SuperFamicom, and even starred in a DirectToVideo movie.* Listerine mouthwash: originally played straight, or somewhat so -- a computer-animated Listerine bottle boxing in the ring, fighting a shadowy monster, or swinging through the jungle to the tune of Baltimora's "Tarzan Boy" is hard to consider "played straight" -- but now uses a guy in an obviously homemade bottle costume with a toothbrush sidekick.** There's also the trenchcoat-wearing "Agent Blue".* Crest toothpaste had one in the 70's and early 80's, featuring heroes protecting Toothopolis, a city encircled by a wall of monstrous teeth, from the Cavity Creeps ("We make holes in teeth").* In an episode of ''TheApprenticeMarthaStewart'', contestants charged with producing a live billboard for laundry stain remover Tide to Go won by depicting the product with a cape and boxing gloves to "knock out stains." (Incidentally, the boxing conceit was once used in a computer-animated spot for... Listerine. It all comes back to Listerine, folks.)** And used disastrously in the UK version of ''Series/TheApprentice'', in which one team tried to sell a cereal using the superhero Pants Man. Whose superpower was [[spoiler:putting his underwear on the right way round]]. Amazingly, the idiot responsible wasn't sacked for another two weeks.** Wait! He was channeling [[Manga/{{Yotsuba}} Koiwai]]! He should have won on that alone!* In one stage of the game ''VideoGame/OsuTatakaeOuendan'', a violinist with indigestion takes a health drink, and its effect is represented by little superheroes doing battle with the germs attacking his stomach lining. The western remake, ''VideoGame/EliteBeatAgents'', used a troop of sexy nurses as a more general personification of an athlete's immune system.* "Man from Glad! Man from Glad!"* KOOL-AID SMASH! KOOL-AID IS THE STRONGEST ONE THERE IS! ...well, yeah. The Kool-Aid Man probably qualifies as a superhero insofar as TheIncredibleHulk does -- what with his tendency to [[ThereWasADoor smash through walls]] to bring you that much-needed refreshment! '''[[http://www.misterkitty.org/extras/stupidcovers/stupidcomics81.html OH, YEAH!]]''' The people over at [[http://www.applegeeks.com AppleGeeks]] seem to [[http://www.applegeeks.com/comics/viewcomic.php?issue=187 think he would be a good serial killer too.]]** He even had [[SoBadItsGood a comic book]]. Naturally, [[WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall Linkara]] was appalled by the fact that it even existed.** And if he should have to make a HeroicSacrifice, [[http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2000/7/21/ his death would not be in vain.]]* Ajax had a white tornado.** They used to have a [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4trEWzghZM white knight]] who zapped clothes clean with beams from his magic lance.* The Jolly Green Giant used to grow vegetables in a valley in the middle of who-knows-where. Though he seldom if ever did anything, a guy that size is still a force to be reckoned with.* Mr Clean is able to make any place bright and shiny, even if it's a crack house in Detroit or Bin Laden's Cave in Afghanistan. For extra credit, where does Mr. Clean wear his earring?** In his ear.* Scrubbing Bubbles has sentient brushes that have cleaning power.* Don't forget Erin Esurance.** This one actually got a ProductPlacement cameo spot in ''Series/WhoWantsToBeASuperhero?''* This trope was parodied in a Creator/CartoonNetwork original animated short, "Fungus Among Us", featuring filth-fighting superheroes such as "Captain Americlean".* Apparently, buying a Garmin gives one the ability to transform into [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KL3ccJDplzs an Ultraman-esque superhero to fight the evil Mapasaurus.]]* Combined with DeliciousFruitPies in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0091.html this]] ''[[Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick Order of the Stick]]'' strip.* Trojan Man!* ''WesternAnimation/RubikTheAmazingCube'' was a cartoon from the 80s about an anthropomorphic Rubik's Cube that could fly and stuff...but only once someone had solved it.* This was parodied in ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'' by a series of animated sketches in which each advert's content is the metaphor used in the previous one: for example, "American Capitalism" is sold as though it were a brand of toothpaste, with Chinese Communists causing decay to teeth ("imagine this tooth is a small Asian country").* The mascot of Mr Muscle used to be a scrawny, weedy {{Nerd}} who was too weak to clean anything via elbow grease so needed powerful cleaning products to do the job for him. A recent ReTool turned him into a smug, chiselled ScienceHero with an American accent.* [[WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow POWDERED]] [[SayMyName TOOOOAST]] [[LargeHam MAAAAAAAAAAN!]]* HEY! It's MAN-OF-POPSICLE!* The superheroes and villains Skechers created based on their shoes... which then spawned a [[WesternAnimation/{{Zevo 3}} cartoon adaptation]], amazingly enough. The superhero is Z-Strap, whose power has to do with velcro straps on his sneakers, letting him get dressed really quickly. What a surprise that the villain's is "The Tangler."* '''''"RAAAIIIID!"''''' the bugs shriek. And then the spray can with arms -- very muscular arms -- reaches up with one to tap the spray button, spewing poison vapors, and "Kills Bugs Dead." There was also an animated Orkin commercial that depicted the exterminator in a drawing style reminiscent of 60s superhero cartoons, wielding a deadly sprayer to kill cockroaches that often seemed bigger than he was. ''And'' a later, live-action/CGI ad portrayed a bug exterminator marching into a house in powered armor; a heads-up display and laser targeting pinpoint the roach, and then the man fires [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3nEM10awK4 jets of poison]] from an ArmCannon. "Target terminated."* While not official (it started as an in-joke on the Japanese image board [=2chan=]), [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz-mJed_bP0&NR=1 this one]], for Kikkoman soy sauce, simply must be seen to be believed. It cannot possibly be described adequately.* During the period when Super Sugar Crisp was changing its name to Super Golden Crisp, the commercial mascot (Sugar Bear) gained the power to transform himself into ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhLbuuxr0cg Super Bear]]''. (Super Bear was less like a superhero than a really big mean scary grizzly, however, which probably didn't go over too well with the young kids that were the cereal's target demographic.)* WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls appear in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMCGADFNDiQ this]] Advertising/GotMilk commercial as a tie in to their movie.* At one point, the TV ads for Mighty Dog™ brand canned dog food went with a [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnAFoigXIpM flying dog wearing a cape]]. He was supposed to be Mighty Dog (like Mighty Mouse, [[DontExplainTheJoke geddit?]]).* Bardahl advertised its engine-cleaners in the style of ''ComicStrip/DickTracy''--you had villains such as "Gummy Rings" causing problems until the Bardahl Detective showed up and set things right.* Pepsiman, star of a series of Japanese Pepsi commercials in the late 1990s (with effects by Creator/IndustrialLightAndMagic). Pepsiman was a masked runner answering the call of thirsty consumers anywhere, magically delivering them Pepsi-Cola with "Schwaaa!" action (as the English blurb for his action figure puts it) and usually suffering AmusingInjuries on the side. Like UFO Kamen Yakisoban, he too got his own game, for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation, also in Japan.* In the early 80s, Crest toothpaste had a series of cartoon ads where a city called Toothopolis (a city surrounded by a wall of giant - but very shiny - teeth) was constantly under attack by ugly "Cavity Creeps", only to be fought off by the city's heroic protectors, armed with tooth-hygiene-themed weaponry. (Crest, naturally.)* Aquafresh toothpaste has [[http://www.aquafresh.co.uk/content/dam/global/aquafresh/Images/superhero-hero.png Captain Aquafresh]], a Superman expy whose costume and hair are in the three Aquafresh stripe colours, symbolically thumping sugary foods.----